1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to seats and, more particular, to vehicle seats.
2. Description of the Art
Seats found in vehicles, such as automobiles, trucks, etc., are frequently provided with a seat back which is pivotal from a raised position to a lowered position with respect to the accompanying seat bottom.
Vehicle seats, particularly those found in minivans, are frequently releasibly mountable in the vehicle so as to enable their removal when it is desired to use the floor of the vehicle as a cargo space.
It is also known to provide vehicle seats in which the seat back and/or the entire seat back and seat bottom are pivotally movable from a normal seating position in which the seat back extends angularly upward from the seat bottom to a collapsed, lowered position wherein the seat back folds over the bottom and the seat bottom itself may pivot from the seating position to a lowered position, either forward or rearward of the seating, so as to lower the overall height of the collapsed seat and to enable the back surface of the seat back to be used for supporting cargo within the vehicle.
While the removable seats operate effectively in so far as enabling the seat to be folded and removed from the vehicle, storage of the removed seat can be a problem, particularly in urban areas where a vehicle owner may not have a garage readily available for storing the removed seat. The weight of the seat, which is relatively light in terms of enabling the seat to be easily removed and reinstalled in the vehicle, nevertheless, can become problematic when it is necessary to carry the seat a considerable distance to a storage area away from the vehicle or up flights of stairs to owners apartment.
Further, the collapsible seats, while being able to be lowered to a position wherein the seat back does not extend appreciably above the underlying seat support surface or vehicle floor, do not provide for any change in the height of the seat back or seat bottom so as to reduce the overall stack height of the folded seat back and seat bottom itself.
Seats are frequently provided with adjustable bladders or other shape changing supports for varying the contour of the seat bottom and/or seat back to provide occupant comfort. However, the amount of movement provided by such shape changing devices or "lumbar supports" is minimal. Further, such shape changing devices merely change the contour of the surface of the seat and do not appreciably change the overall height of the outer surface of the seat bottom and/or seat back with respect to its opposed back surface.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a collapsible seat for particular use in vehicles which can be folded to a minimum stack height when in a collapsed or lowered position. It would also be desirable to provide a collapsible seat in which a seat back can be folded over a seat bottom with a minimum stack height and the entire seat bottom and seat back pivotally lowered to a collapsed position enabling the back surface of the seat back to act as a cargo carrying surface generally in line with the vehicle floor. It would also be desirable to provide a collapsible seat wherein the stack height of the seat back and/or seat bottom is automatically changed as the seat back is pivoted with respect to the seat bottom. It would also be desirable to provide a seat in which the seat bottom is automatically pivoted between the lowered and elevated positions concurrent with pivotal movement of the seat back relative to the seat bottom. It would also be desirable to provide a collapsible seat which can be collapsed to a lowered position which has a minimal stack height so as to fit within a receptacle formed in a vehicle floor.